5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and boom, it’s a New Year. A year full of promises, hopes, desires and success. But this New Year is special as it follows the same calendar, the year when we got our freedom 1947. The party fever grips the world. On 31st night, whole world is up welcoming New Year. People use celebration as an eraser to forget the past miserable experience if there any and all are set to welcome a new prosperous year. Whether it is God, Allah or Bhagwan, there is only one prayer which comes out from everyone’s heart that this New Year should be better from the last year. With this hope New Year celebration begins.

“Maintaining the peace and violence in the city is our first and foremost duty on this occasion because there are some people who try to disturb the peace in the city.” states Sashikant Yadav, S.O., Thakurganj Police Station. He adds, “When it comes to me that how I celebrate New Year, so, it is very difficult to give time to my family. But nevertheless, I call my family in the police station only, and enjoy the dinner with the officers and my family. As cast discrimination is very far away from this country so, we all celebrate it by blowing crackers with the officers on 31st midnight and enjoy it with great enthusiasm. We also keep a watch that the citizens should be safe on this grand occasion.”

Some of them take this grand eve just for fun but some learn something from their past and try to improve it in the upcoming year. “At the end of 2013 as I look behind, I see that God’s providential glance was always watching over me. I have much to be grateful for the incidents and the people in my life that have helped me to grow into a better person”, shares Sunita Bunch, a school headmistress. Sunita adds, “I prepare myself for the coming year with gratitude in my heart very especially for the gift of another year. Every New Year comes with new hopes and new aspirations and I need to build on my brokenness by picking up the pieces that have disintegrated me.”

The grand eve of New Year sometimes take someone to their flashback. Ram Narayan Sahu, a businessman and a social worker opines, “Being a man of 70 years, I still remember my younger days when we use to celebrate and enjoy the New Year. I used to go for the midnight show movie with my friends in Mayfair Cinema. After that we used to go to eat ‘chat’ in Hazratganj.” Adding to this, he says, “Now as I’ve become a senior citizen I celebrate this grand eve with my children and grandchildren together. We have dinner then we play some games and enjoy a lot among ourselves. Then I distribute blankets to the underprivileged people, and that is my yearly routine.”

Enjoying only in New Year does not complete it. Thanking to God is also important part of this grand eve. “Although everyday is special for me but as we’ve heard and our trend also follows that starting of every work is done by taking God’s name so I also start my New Year by taking the God’s name first. It is very special for me because I start the New Year eve by meditating Lords name at Gurudwara or in my home itself.” remarks Mannan Arora, an intermediate student. Mannan adds, “As the name ‘New Year’ itself indicates joy and happiness, I celebrate this grand eve with my family and friends. Then I set up my New Year resolution and try to complete it in that New Year.”